Slick roads add to deadly crash total in Minnesota

Two fatal crashes, one west of Eden Valley and one south of Winthrop, Monday morning are the latest incidents making March a deadly month on the Minnesota’s highways.

According to the State Patrol’s preliminary numbers, there have been 19 deaths on the state’s highways since March 1. That compares to nine deaths in 2013.

The fatalities included three people, including a 5-year-old child, killed in a head-on crash on U.S. Highway 169 south of St. Peter on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, Harvey Chupp, 87, of Eden Valley was driving a 1997 Chevrolet pickup west on state Highway 55 when he lost control on the ice and the pickup rolled in the ditch. Chupp was the only person in the vehicle.

South of Winthrop two vehicles collided head-on along state Highway 15. The driver of one of the vehicles, Charlan D. Kaml, 43, of Kimball, was killed in the crash. The other driver, John T. Lott, 33, of Winthrop, sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Roads slick with freezing rain Monday morning had state troopers responding to 110 crashes, including the two fatal crashes and 19 injury crashes, and 89 property damage crashes, along with 33 vehicles that were off the road, all by 11 a.m. Monday.